The Darkness
by iJammer
Summary: It's not the question of Jeremy's interest in her; it's the question of how long Bonnie can resist her interest in him. As romance finally blooms for Bonnie Bennett in Mystic Falls, so does danger. CHAPTER FOUR UP!
1. Chapter 1: The Playdate

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue!

A/N: Hello fellow TVD lovers. I presume some of you, like myself, are Jeremy lovers! What a delicious man he is. I'm keeping this author's note REALLY short because I'm extremely tired, but I sincerely hope you all enjoy this story and I plan to update it as regularly as I can! Love you all and please review!

Summary: It's not the question of Jeremy's interest in her; it's the question of how long Bonnie can resist her interest in him. However, will newcomer Luka succeed in sidelining Jeremy? What exactly do these self-proclaimed warlocks have in store for our favourite witch? As romance finally blooms for Bonnie in Mystic Falls, so does danger.

CHAPTER 1: THE PLAYDATE

Bonnie ran her fingers through her hair distractedly as she quickly strode over to Mystic Grill. The day was exceptionally ugly, the sky a morbid grey, depressing on the whole. She smiled at the thought, nothing unusual for her lovely little town of Mystic Falls. It was raining lightly, although Bonnie didn't entirely mind it. She found the rain able to soften her sometimes unruly hair, a task that not many aside from her were able to accomplish. Bonnie wasn't surprised that basically everything about Mystic Falls was magical, right down to the weather. Lame…she chuckled slightly at her analogy. Hopefully she would be able to provide better conversation during what was quite obviously not a date with her best friend Elena's younger brother. Or was it a date? Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes in thought as she began to doubt herself. The profuse sweating began in that moment. Lovely, she thought. Sweating already and her date or non-date hadn't even commenced. So much for being a goddamned WITCH. She most certainly had not encountered an anti-perspiration spell as of yet. Hopefully, her stench would succeed in sending Jeremy running for the hills. Bonnie could hear the soles of her shoes echo as they slapped the pavement of the parking lot, the sounds muffled slightly by the rain slowly pooling into the uneven terrain of the cement. Regardless of what the kid Gilbert thought, this would not be a date, she began to assure herself. Bonnie had promised herself she would stay away from Jeremy in the instant she felt an inkling of attraction towards him the other night at the masquerade ball. She had failed miserably.

Although fleeting, Bonnie indeed began to feel herself gravitate in the direction of Jeremy's new found confidence and understanding of her predicament. His presence had been intoxicating at the time, not to mention his slightly altered appearance. Bonnie had always thought in passing that Jeremy would eventually grow up to be a keeper, but never did she consider him for herself. He had always possessed boyish good looks, that just recently amplified in a manner that Bonnie could not help but notice. She no longer felt at ease around him in the way that she did before all this had occurred. She felt-intimidated. It was the only accurate way to describe how she felt as ridiculous as it sounded.

It was ridiculous. Jeremy should be the last male for her to feel uncomfortable around. He had most definitely seen her at her worst. Not including when her Grandmother was killed, but all the times Jeremy had witnessed her without a speck of make-up on her face and clad in her most horrifying sweat pants and baggy t-shirt combo, scarfing down what was likely half her weight in Doritos. Really attracitve. She cringed slightly at the thought. Bonnie wrote-it-off however. It was quite obvious that her discomfort was only due to his newly attained manhood. And at once, all seriousness dispersed and she openly laughed at her use of the word manhood, something her and Elena would have tirelessly guffawed over. Nothing quite made Bonnie launch into hysterical laughter like the time her and Elena played 'PENIS', screaming the word louder each time it was said at the dinner table in both Jenna, Alaric, and even Jeremy's presence. Bonnie decided that Alaric had never looked more disturbed in his life. Jeremy spoke the truth; he had grown up, quite unlike her.

"**Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis**." Bonnie chanted quietly under her breath as she looked around the parking lot littered with cars.

Bonnie's thoughts once more returned to Jeremy. Fuck it. There was absolutely nothing wrong with spending some time with him! They were friends, just like they always had been. Maybe things hadn't changed as much as she thought. With this realization, a wave of relief washed over her and she smiled to herself. She finally had reached the entrance of Mystic Grill. She rid her umbrella of the water droplets that collected upon it. Struggling to close it and finally succeeding, she took one final breath in an attempt to collect herself and entered. Warmth overtook Bonnie as she strode into the popular getaway for the majority of the Mystic Falls youth population. Bonnie glanced around her familiar surroundings, taking in numerous familiar faces as she did so. She flushed slightly at the thought of her classmates witnessing her hanging out with Elena Gilbert's kid brother. Good God, she shook her head with a smile teetering on the edge of a laugh and began to dread the next couple hours. Bonnie headed towards the pool tables, located at the very back of Mystic Grill. As she walked, she heard her name being called.

Bonnie turned to her right, only to lock eyes with Luka, the attractive newcomer who she most certainly, would rather have been on a date with. Luka had spoken to both her and Jeremy earlier that day, attempting to locate the office. It was too bad that he didn't speak to her before Jeremy had decided to ruin her life by asking her here. Her hang out 'sesh' with Jeremy most certainly called for Elena, Stefan, and Damon waving the Awkward Turtle at her and shaking their heads in disapproval.

She visualized Damon tutting at her in disappointment, wagging his ring clad finger in her face. "Really Bonnie, the Gilbert kid? And I thought _I_ had no standards!" He would smile deviously, a twinkle appearing in his green eyes as he would pour a glass of Cognac for himself, only furthering the progress of his alcoholism.

Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed Luka out of the corner of her eye, talking animatedly to a man sitting across from him.

"Bonnie!" Luka's face broke into a smile.

"Hey Luka!" Bonnie replied warmly, looking back and forth from Luka to who she now presumed was his father "How did you find everything on your first day?"

"It'll definitely take some getting used to." Luka looked into her eyes and then to his lap.

He clearly wasn't thrilled with Mystic falls, not that Bonnie blamed him. Without knowledge of all the supernatural happenings around him, it wasn't a surprise that Luka would find Mystic Falls for the lack of a better word, _bland_.

"Please join us!" Bonnie turned to Luka's father who continued to smile contently as he examined her face.

Bonnie's eyes scanned the entirety of Mystic Grill searching for Jeremy. He was nowhere in sight, perhaps he had forgotten their _play date_. She inwardly snickered at her hilarity, or lack thereof.

"Thank-you, I'm waiting to meet a friend anyways." she spoke in her politest voice and flashed the two men a shy smile, nervously giggling.

Luka slid further into the booth in which he and his father were seated to allow for Bonnie to comfortably sit. Clad in square framed glasses, Luka's father smiled kindly and watched her as she settled in, not removing his eyes from her once.

_Pedo_. Bonnie's smile faded as she grew continually uncomfortable.

"Bonnie Bennett," Luka's father began, "I've come across a few Bennett's in my time, any relation to the Bennett's out in Salem?" he smiled once more, this time inquisitively.

Bonnie froze at the reference to her relatives in Massachusetts. "Actually, yes." she didn't allow her voice to falter. Perhaps these two men weren't as normal as they claimed to be. She needed to find out.

As if on cue, Bonnie noticed Jeremy's frame enter Mystic Grill nonchalantly. Jeremy's eyes landed on her instantly. He momentarily paused, quite obviously taking in the scene before him. Just as she hoped for, he decided to approach. A wave of relief washed over her as he finally reached the booth in order to collect her (rescue her).

Bonnie jumped to her feet and stood next to Jeremy, her back slightly turned to Luka. Jeremy looked down upon her; the height difference between them was quite startling at times. She shot him a devious smile and turned back to Luka, allowing her hair to whip Jeremy's arm. She had to see for sure if her suspicions were correct. Bonnie then initiated the plan she had formed only moments before.

"Enjoy your dinner Luka and considering the size of this town, I'll obviously see you at school." she laughed goodheartedly and let her hand fall loosely onto his shoulder, allowing for her touch to appear as a goodbye gesture.

Upon contact, the blood within Bonnie's veins began to warm and pump at a faster rate. She felt blood rush to her face as her fingertips tingled, as if sparks of electricity were shooting from the pads of her fingers. Luka possessed witch blood, she was sure of it. Not only could she sense his presence now just as well as she did her own, a familiar smell struck her nostrils, the smell of the woods and spices, of ginger and oak, although distinct to her Gram's; the scent of saffron and cherry wood.

Bonnie aligned herself with Jeremy, still uneasy from the revelation that had just occurred. Two male witches? It had been odd enough to run into her distant cousin, Lucy. It would have been a nice family reunion, however according to Bonnie; it would have been preferable in more desirable circumstances.

"Sorry for the lateness." Jeremy spoke smoothly, her name rolling off his tongue in a way individual to him only. She loved the way he said her name. He shot her a relaxed grin, his lips rising slowly in an upward motion. She supposed his stoner mannerisms had slightly stuck, not that she minded. Bonnie absentmindedly smiled to herself.

Bonnie then felt Jeremy's fingers graze the small of her back; he dragged them back and forth, causing the hair to rise on the nape of her neck and the air in her lungs to cease from flowing out. Goosebumps littered her arms. She giggled nervously as she looked up to him. The look on his face spelt worry.

"You okay?" he shot her a look of concern as they walked. Jeremy glanced back at Luka at his father, not bothering to hide the look of disgust on his face.

Bonnie attempted to rid her mind of Luka and his father and it was then that the butterflies returned to her stomach, she was finally _with_ Jeremy. She composed herself and speedily entertained different directions for the conversation Jeremy wanted to have; preferably, far away from Luka and his father. Yes, Jeremy was aware of the supernatural; however she thought it best for him to remain in the dark about Luka and his father, at least for now.

"Why yes Jeremy, in fact I'm ecstatic knowing that within no time you shall be delivered a hearty serving of ass-whooping _à_ la Bonnie Bennett." she pushed Jeremy playfully, attempting to knock him of his course towards the pool tables. The feel of his toned arms under her hands was sort of enjoyable. Sort of being extremely. Extremely being she was now sweating AGAIN. She mentally kicked herself. She was sure Damon would happily offer to do so in reality.

Bonnie examined Jeremy in that moment as they walked onwards. Standing at 6'1, Jeremy most certainly dwarfed Bonnie. He was at least a foot or more taller than she was. Jeremy wore a tight fitting white t-shirt with the number 86 emblazoned across his chest in red. He had quite obviously tossed the plaid shirt he wore over it on right before he left for school, in a manner that was likely careless. He had decided to complete his outfit with a pair of fitted dark blue jeans. Funnily enough it probably took Jeremy all of ten seconds to throw the masterpiece together that Bonnie was currently ogling. An opening ensued and Bonnie took the liberty of gazing at Jeremy's package. Her eyes widened and she inwardly punched herself. Repeatedly.

_ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. ELENA'S BROTHER. _Bonnie screamed in her mind.

"Wow, EPIC FAIL, Bonnie. It was a valiant attempt though," Jeremy lazily winked at her and stuck his hands into his pockets and nudged her slightly in return.

Hardly a moment of silence passed and Jeremy spoke up again.

"You ready to lose sweetheart?" he nodded his head towards the pool table and allowed for a smile to appear on his pink lips.

"Less talk, more pool!" Bonnie challenged, squinting her eyes and sticking out her tongue in Jeremy's direction.

"You know, I don't plan on going easy on you just because you're a girl," Jeremy teased her "OH and don't even attempt any of that hocus pocus, cheating is not very a very becoming quality in a young lady such as yourself." Jeremy grinned, adjusted his backpack and began to incessantly poke Bonnie's side.

Bonnie continued to enjoy Jeremy's touchiness more and more; however she couldn't help but look around at her peers hoping no one would notice their blatant flirtation. Why had she ever doubted this hangout in the first place? All the spell casting she had been doing lately most certainly had fried her brain.

"Who needs magic when you'll probably end up annoying me to death?" Bonnie glared at Jeremy playfully, securing her purse further up her arm.

Bonnie and Jeremy had reached the pool tables at last.

"What can I say? I've always been a hit with the ladies." Jeremy sing-songed, dropping his backpack on a vacant stool nearest to their pool table. He ran his hands through his messy brown hair and looked around, contemplating how to begin setting up.

Bonnie reached for a cue and began to chalk the tip of it generously. She watched as Jeremy searched for all the necessary equipment they required. He tossed the pool triangle onto the green felt of the table, littered with stains of spilt drinks from nights past. Many likely traced back to herself and perhaps the sometimes obnoxious Caroline.

Bonnie searched for something to fill the silence.

"So it's pretty obvious that you haven't learned from that black eye I gave you back when we were kids. You couldn't even beat me at wrestling and I'm pretty sure you weighed more than me!" Bonnie blew the excess chalk of her pool cue to emphasize her point and allowed herself to break into a flirtatious smile. She raised her eyebrows suggestively knowing that she had most certainly embarrassed him.

"You HAD to bring that up!" Jeremy smacked his forehead, his protective ring, secured on his hand catching the light "Have some class, woman! After all, I was only six, and you being the seven year-old should have known better than to damage this-" Jeremy poked his cheek, "_flawless_ face."

"If you keep telling yourself that Gilbert, it _might_ come true," she began to collect the assortment of balls from the pocket nearest to her, "Or you might just end up with another black eye." Bonnie winked at him, unable to stop herself from breaking into a smile at the memory.

As Bonnie went from pocket to pocket, she fondly recalled exactly why she had decided to beat Jeremy's ass that day. Bonnie remembered that she and Elena had arranged to play together that afternoon, and Bonnie planned on bringing along her new set of Disney Princess inspired Barbies for the occasion. Bonnie and Elena were extremely excited of the prospect of only one Ken, and numerous Barbies to spare. Abandoning their key chain littered backpacks in Elena's room, the two young girls dashed to the television in hopes of catching the latest Sailor Moon and a glimpse of the dashing Tuxedo Mask. Unknown to their knowledge, Elena's younger and not to mention exceedingly annoying brother planned otherwise for that of the Disney Princesses. After taking in the all too short episode of Sailor Moon, Bonnie and Elena returned to Elena's bedroom, ready to commence numerous makeovers on Ariel, Jasmine and the others, in hopes of impressing Ken. However, to both Bonnie and Elena's horror, the beautiful dolls lay stripped of their clothing and decapitated in quite a terrifying manner on the whole, the stump-like remainders of their necks colored a blood red. With Elena's assistance, Bonnie in a fit of rage managed to straddle Jeremy as he watched Transformers and tirelessly pummel him with her small fists. For a small little girl, Bonnie was truly a force to be reckoned with. Bonnie however was truly pleased that she indeed did not injure Jeremy's now rather handsome face. The black eight-ball she had just plucked from the pocket nearest to her slipped from Bonnie's grasp.

"If only your coordination was as good as your looks, eh Bonnie?" he snickered, darting after the ball she dropped, making a reference to the tumble she took earlier that day. He placed it into the triangular arrangement now placed directly in front of Bonnie.

"That was obviously _your_ fault Jeremy! I saw your face and got so scared I purposely dropped my books in order to run to safety!" Bonnie grinned, rolling her eyes at him playfully.

"Bonnie that's impossible I was behind you-" Jeremy began laughing.

"That's what she said." Bonnie automatically interjected. Her eyes widened in realization of what she had just said and she slapped her hand over her mouth and began to giggle.

"That must've been wereface who creeped the shit out of you so bad –wait a minute -hold the phone…did Bonnie Bennet just attempt a dirty joke?" Jeremy announced in bewilderment looking around wildly for other witnesses.

"Wow Jeremy get your mind out of the gutter." Bonnie jokingly attempted at a recovery, although she secretly hoped he hadn't actually heard.

"So what else goes on in that freaky little mind of yours Bennett?" Jeremy attempted in a seductive voice, and began to laugh so hard he snorted.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out, hmph!" with this Bonnie took her first shot, missing the white ball almost entirely, shifting it a centimeter closer to the triangle of balls that was her responsibility to break.

"Tsk, tsk Bonnie, hasn't anyone taught you how to play pool?" Jeremy crossed is arms in mock disappointment, teasing her. He leaned his frame against the table.

"Jeremy, we're not all gifted at nerdlife sports like you are." Bonnie smirked, locking eyes with Jeremy as she bent over the table to line up another shot.

Bonnie attempting to focus, failing to notice Jeremy taking in the view, a smile plastered on his face ranging from one ear to the other.

"You speak the truth Ms. Bennett. Five pool championship wins and three ping-pong tournament first place finishes truly speaks volumes about my talent in such sports." His statement was drenched in mock accomplishment.

"If you can call them sports…" Bonnie muttered jokingly under her breath as she continued to adjust her pool cue.

"If you want to stand a fighting chance at beating me Ms. Bennet, I suggest you get on your knees…" Jeremy paused for a great deal of time. Bonnie closed her eyes and shook her head, the smile on her face threatening to break into a laugh, "and beg of course." Jeremy shot Bonnie an innocent smile. He shrugged at her and his smile grew bigger.

"A boy can dream, Gilbert," Bonnie shook her head laughing. "Now stop distracting me!" she attempted to shoot him a serious look but failed.

"I have that affect on women." Jeremy now seemed to possess a perma-grin, his crossed arms emphasizing the wideness of his chest.

"Say please and I'll show you how to play." Jeremy continued, grinning stupidly at her knowing that she would soon give up, he however was quite entertained nonetheless.

Bonnie groaned aloud. "FINE. Jeremy," Bonnie cleared her throat "pretty...please." She planted one hand on her face and shook her head in embarrassment, thrusting the pool cue at him with the other, ready to never see it again.

"Ah…I love hearing the words 'please' and 'Jeremy' in the same sentence." Jeremy began to chalk up the pool cue once more, looking at Bonnie for a moment, and then allowing himself to shoot her a dazzling smile followed by an extremely slow wink.

Bonnie's face flushed. Things were only going to get worse from here.


	2. Chapter 2: The Revelation

Disclaimer: I own nothing, aside perhaps for the right to ogle Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert on the Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Hello everything! Thank-you kindly for the lovely reviews! I had intended on having this chapter up a week ago, but due to the fact that I was drowning in the massive pile of essays my professors oh so cruelly assigned, I had to keep you all waiting! I tried to change up the dialogue from the scenes between Jeremy/Bonnie/ and Luka at Mystic Grill and I intend on taking this story in a very different direction, however I felt I needed the scene at Mystic Grill and so included it in this chapter. Expect something completely new in chapter three, which I plan to have up ASAP. Also, to Angell4NEPatriots, thank-you very much for your lovely review, it sincerely made my day. Enjoy!

Summary: It's not the question of Jeremy's interest in her; it's the question of how long Bonnie can resist her interest in him. However, will newcomer Luka succeed in sidelining Jeremy? What exactly do these self-proclaimed warlocks have in store for our favourite witch? As romance finally blooms for Bonnie in Mystic Falls, so does danger.

CHAPTER 2: THE REVELATION

"I think you've used up your sexual innuendo quota for the night Jeremy." Bonnie blew a stray ringlet away from her face, giggling "On with the pool lesson already, geez!" She eyed him expectantly, awaiting his guidance. She may as well have been tapping her foot.

Jeremy's face lit up, and if he had a tail, it most certainly would have been madly wagging.

"Yes ma'am!" Jeremy dashed to Bonnie's side of the pool table, stumbling slightly, shooting her a half-assed salute before re-arranging the pool balls once more. Bonnie peeked at Jeremy from under her lashes. His skillful hands quickly had everything back into place as it was before Hurricane Bonnie struck.

"Alrighty," Jeremy put his fist to his mouth and awkwardly cleared his throat. "Now you have to secure the pool cue like so," Jeremy demonstrated for her, leaning against the table with the lower half of the pool cue grasped firmly in his right hand, and what was approximately the middle of it resting delicately between his index and middle fingers on his left hand. Bonnie tilted her head slightly, admiring the firmness of Jeremy's ass. _Hot_. "Try it out." Jeremy mumbled, standing upright and handing her the pool cue. Bonnie snapped out of her trance at the sound of his voice, her eyes widened thinking she was caught in the act. Luckily, Jeremy unaware of her ogling stepped back slightly to give her space.

Bonnie grasped the pool cue firmly, just as Jeremy had and mimicked what he had demonstrated for her; however she revered the position of her hands in order to accommodate her left-handedness. She leaned over the table, her green eyes focused intently on the white ball sitting directly in the middle of the worn-down green felt, waiting patiently to be hit. Bonnie turned her head slightly to the right to see where Jeremy had gone.

"You're standing awfully far back, Jer" Bonnie began. "Did you actually think I was serious about-" Bonnie began with a smile; however her words ceased immediately at the feel of Jeremy's hands delicately grasping her elbows. "A-about that black eye?" she recovered. Bonnie closed her eyes tightly and began to scrunch her face. She allowed the breath she was holding in to finally escape.

"Just a little higher Bon." Jeremy nudged her elbow upwards gently. Slowly she felt his warm palms slide down the expanse of her bare arms as he towered over her from behind. He grasped her hand within his and lifted it further down the length of the pool cue. He reached for her other and moved it upwards. "And you might wanna move those too." He chuckled.

Bonnie turned her head to peer into Jeremy's content eyes, his head lightly resting on her shoulder. The scent of Jeremy's sweet cologne overpowered Bonnie. Beneath this, she recognized the familiar scent of the forest, a smell that always seemed to follow Jeremy around wherever he went. He reeked of life, of youth-adventure. Everything she loved about her mortality, about being alive. For what felt like an eternity, Bonnie innocently observed the new hardness of his handsome face, the sharp line of his tense jaw flexing in concentration. Her breath caught in her throat as she examined his beauty. Bonnie's eyes gradually drifted down to his pink lips where they momentarily paused and then to his chest where she knew deep within it, his strong heart beat. Bonnie felt Jeremy withdraw his hands from hers in a motion as fluid as they had appeared, leaving her skin longing for the return of his touch. She simply stared at him dumbfounded, and the moment that had just occurred leaked quietly into the past. Who knew that it would be Jeremy Gilbert that would leave Bonnie Bennett speechless.

"Go on Miss Pool Star, take your shot!" Jeremy encouraged her, returning back to his somewhat distant location, his brown eyes smiling at her. He shot her a stupid grin and a thumbs-up.

Bonnie returned her attention to the pool table. She shut her eyes. What the fuck had just happened? This was so, so wrong. Elena was going to kill her.

Bonnie blindly pushed the pool cue forward, a loud crack surprising her ears. She opened her eyes and to her shock, the solids and stripes of various colors had dispersed themselves throughout the table-top.

"You are now one with the force young padawan." Jeremy put his palms together and bowed.

"What is that, a Star Trek reference or something?" Bonnie broke into a fit of giggles at Jeremy's ridiculousness. "Live long and prosper." Bonnie attempted to mimic Spock, morphing her fingers into something akin to a demented peace sign.

"For shame, Bonnie. Don't even talk to me when Leonard Nemoy comes to town. FACEPALM!" Jeremy flicked his wrist out and held up his hand to Bonnie's face.

"Geek." Bonnie swatted his hand away playfully, causing Jeremy to tickle her side in response. Bonnie screeched with laughter and backed away attempting to avoid Jeremy's reach. She was extremely ticklish and he apparently knew that far too well…

It was then that Jeremy's smile vanished as he peered over her shoulder. Bonnie's laughter ceased and she turned to see what had caused the grimace that Jeremy's face held, to appear. Just over a meter away Luka could be seen sauntering over to their table.

"Awesome game you got going there, guys." Luka chuckled, laugh lines littering his tanned face as he looked from Bonnie and Jeremy and then to the pool table. He didn't appear to be stopping to chat and continued walking by.

"Yeah, pretty solid start we got going eh, Bon." Jeremy nudged Bonnie's side, clicking his tongue and shooting a speedy wink at her. His knuckles began to turn white as he grasped his pool cue more forcefully.

Bonnie pursed her lips, glancing from Luka to Jeremy. _Awkward_. Luka smiled at Bonnie once more and headed back to where she assumed Luka had previously been sitting with his father. Jeremy watched the retreating back of Luka until he was fully out of sight, the look of annoyance that had appeared finally dispersing.

_Men_. The evident tension between Jeremy and Luka made Bonnie uncomfortable and unsure of how to handle the situation. She wasn't sure why, but Jeremy clearly disliked Luka.

Bonnie decided that it would be a good time to take a quick trip to the ladies room and powder her nose. Jeremy perched himself on the pool table, the length of his legs allowing his feet to still touch the ground, and the pool cue grasped in his right hand for support, Bonnie eyed his ring curiously for a moment and then lifted her eyes to Jeremy's face. Jeremy was examining his feet, a downtrodden expression displayed on his youthful face. It couldn't be. Was that jealousy? No, it most definitely wasn't. Perhaps Jeremy simply felt that Luka put a damper on their flirtation, and now it was back to reality. Bonnie went back to being his older sister's best friend. Bonnie broke the silence.

"Hey Jer-bear, I'm off to the ladies room. I'll be back in a minute." Bonnie touched Jeremy's arm lightly and grinned as his head shot up. They were now at eye-level. "What? Don't like your new nickname?" Bonnie's grin expanded further.

"Jer-bear? Lady, get outta my sight," Jeremy teased her, smiling sweetly. "I'll grab some drinks while you're gone." He added bashfully.

"Such a gentlemen!" Bonnie exclaimed, mock swooning as she turned to head towards the bathroom. She felt a gentle tap on her behind. She shot a look behind her. Jeremy had the pool stick extended out from his crotch. Bonnie instantly grew flustered. Why was it that every time Jeremy objectified her, she sort of liked it? All the times Damon attempted to do so resulted in her throwing an aneurysm his way! But then again, Bonnie would probably induce an aneurysm in Damon on most occasions anyways.

"Oops." Jeremy's lips rose in an upwards motion, and attempted to contain his laughter.

"Creep!" Bonnie huffed jokingly, pretending to storm away in disgust. _OH MY GOD?_ Bonnie mouthed in disbelief as she retreated towards the bathroom.

As she departed at what she hoped was a calm pace, Bonnie heard a man with a deep voice speak to Jeremy.

"Hey man, need a sub-in while your girl goes and gets pretty for you?" Bonnie heard the man clap Jeremy on the back as he asked.

"Uh…," Jeremy hesitated "she's not my girl, but sure man whatever, sub-in if you want." He casually offered.

"Shame…" Bonnie heard the man reply, and then she was out of earshot.

Returning from the washroom, Bonnie decided to sit at a table opposite the pool table her and Jeremy had selected. She hopped onto the stool and opened her bag, rummaging through it to search for her blackberry. Whoops emerged from their table. Bonnie glanced over only to witness Jeremy fist-pumping with victory. A waitress glided by her and set down two drinks on the wooden table, a sprite for herself, and a coke for Jeremy placed directly across from her. Bonnie reached over to her left and took hold of two coasters from the small pile located between the ketchup and napkin holder, habit from the time she spent working at Mystic Grill herself. Bonnie quietly pondered to herself as she began to gulp down her drink. Did Jeremy remember that she hated coke or was his selection just a fluke? Bonnie shook her head; she needed to stop reading so much Freud.

Bonnie privately examined Jeremy from the comfort of her seat. She grasped the straw of her drink between her index finger and thumb. Bonnie bit her lip and smiled at the sight of Jeremy peering over the pool table, strategizing his next shot. He glanced up at Bonnie and caught her eye. He shot her a breathtaking smile. She took another sip of her drink and waved her napkin at him as if she were a damsel in distress, _yoo-hoo_! Jeremy grinned further and then turned his attention back to the game. Bonnie returned to the search for her phone.

After a good minute of digging, Bonnie finally unearthed the device from her bag. She noticed the flashing red light on its upper right corner. Two new text messages. Bonnie scrolled through her phone and accessed them.

One had been from Jeremy, sent earlier to let her know he'd be late.

It read:

_eh bon_, _so choked right now…stuck in traffic. now, now, don't you cry. Jer will be there soon to kick your ass ; )_

Bonnie rolled her eyes and smiled to herself. Jeremy was always _so_ polite.

The second text was from Caroline.

_SATURDAY_: _kinky vamp, human, witch sleepover at my place. Attendance = mandatory. : p_

Bonnie snorted to herself. She definitely needed some Cosmo sex-position reading and perhaps the making of some fruity drinks this weekend. Bonnie began to type into her blackberry, responding to Caroline.

_I'll bring the lube_._ ; )_

Bonnie hit send and then locked her phone, restoring it to the confines of her bag once more. She sighed to herself, wondering if she should go collect Jeremy and bring him over to his drink. All the ice had likely already melted, and the drink began to sweat with condensation. About to stand up, Bonnie hesitated, that same feeling washing over again. Luka was approaching; she could feel him before she saw him, finally appearing into view he flashed Bonnie a flawless smile. Bonnie couldn't deny it; Luka was everything she had always wanted in a guy. With his shaved head and sly smile, it was a wonder that one of her fellow classmates hadn't already perused him. Dressed in a dark hooded sweater and jeans, Luka standing at approximately 5'10 peered down at Bonnie and glanced over at the empty chair across from her. His power hit her like a ton of bricks. This feeling was certainly distinct from the one she had felt with Lucy, with Lucy it was trust. With Luka, it was awe.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing sitting all by her lonesome?" Luka drawled, planting his palms on the empty stool and leaning closer to Bonnie. Once again Luka's unique scent of ginger and oak washed over her. Why did every guy in Mystic Falls have to spell so fucking appealing! She internally screamed this in frustration.

Bonnie offered a welcoming smile to Luka and then chuckled "It's for the best, I'd end up injuring someone if I played!"

Luka laughed heartily at her misfortune and then silence fell over them once more.

She nodded her head politely to the seat across from her, silently suggesting that he sit with her. Within a moment he was sitting across from her, folding his hands neatly in front of him.

"So, I just wanted to apologize for my father," he began sincerely "I had a feeling he creeped you out just a little bit earlier at our booth."

"Not at all!" Bonnie offered, "It's hard, you guys are new here, I totally understand." She reached her hand out and placed it on his genuinely.

"It _is_ hard…for people like us Bonnie…I know you sensed something earlier." Luka's eyes bore into hers, waiting patiently for what she had to say.

Bonnie's suspicions were most definitely true. She decided to play it cool and wait for his explanation before she wrote him off.

"I knew it! I did sense something…" Bonnie trailed off, unsure if she should say more. She shifted her eyes to the side to ensure that Jeremy was still engaged in his game of pool and then looked back to Luka.

He twirled the salt shaker between his fingers and began to unscrew the top. …The fuck?

Luka tapped the uncovered salt shaker with his finger, salt littering the table. Bonnie glanced around nervously, hoping no one would notice this. She adjusted her bag on her lap anxiously. "It's hard for people like us Bonnie," Luka waved his hand over the grains of salt. As he lifted his hand, the white salt lifted off the table, almost magnetically. Bonnie's heart stopped in its tracks, Luka was like her. Luka was a…witch? Luka's power coursed through her as Bonnie silently observed. Just when she had thought Jeremy was the only one able to understand her, able to identify with what she was going through, Luka strolled into her life. Luka was like her, he knew what it was like. Finally, someone who knew what _it_ was truly like, someone who had experienced the same hell she had. Bonnie pushed back the tears that threatened to sting her eyes. "My father and I came here for the same reason you folks are all here, to finally have some normalcy in our lives. That'll all we're asking for." The salt dropped with this, unmoving, exactly as it had been before.

"You're a witch?" Bonnie whispered, her eyebrows raising, still in disbelief.

Luka turned his head to the side and snickered. "Well, we prefer the term _warlock_." He admitted.

"How long have you known about your powers?" Bonnie questioned him, in awe. He felt more powerful than she was. Had it been her lifting that salt into the air, Bonnie may have induced a nosebleed and fainted. Unfortunately this time, the soft cushioning of Jeremy's bed was not available.

"My whole life." Luka shrugged. "My father has been teaching me to harness my powers since I can remember. He's all I ever had…my mother turned to the dark…not long after I was born." Luka glanced over her shoulder, evidently lost in his thoughts.

He had lost his mother too…? Bonnie couldn't believe it.

"My mother isn't around either Luka, I understand. It's painful to think about." Bonnie spoke sweetly, consoling Luka further.

"It's nice to finally have someone to talk to." Luka's stared unwaveringly into Bonnie's eyes, a haunting look encompassing his face.

Bonnie's mind pooled with questions to as Luka.

However, their moment was swiftly interrupted as the waitress from earlier swooped in front of them. Lines of stress were permanently drawn into the woman's forehead, her dark red hair piled into a bun a top her head. Sighing, she gracefully plucked two more drinks from her round black tray and placed them on the mahogany table. The waitress placed another sprite in front of Bonnie and a coke in front of Luka, positioned next to Jeremy's untouched drink. Shit, Jeremy. Bonnie had lost track of the time. Swerving from left to right, she madly attempted to look past the waitress, searching the vicinity for Jeremy. Their pool table sat in silence, the balls stacked neatly in accommodating shelves lining the wall, and the pool cues leaning strategically against the wall. He left? Bonnie's heart instantaneously fell and a knot began to form in her stomach. Fuck. Bonnie groaned inwardly. He had probably seen her chatting away with Luka and assumed she had bailed on him. Without thinking, Bonnie began to discreetly gather her things.

"Your drinks have been taken care of," the waitress smiled sweetly at Bonnie. "Excuse my reach." The waitress collected Bonnie's empty glass and placed it on her overflowing tray. Bonnie's glanced down at her name tag, Linda was her name.

"Someone paid for my drink?" Luka raised his eyebrows and contorted his face in confusion.

"Sorry I hadn't meant yours sweetie, just hers." Linda apologized, giving the table a quick wipe down with the cloth that had been tightly grasped in her hand. Bonnie hopped off the stool and slung her bag onto her left shoulder. She was such an ass.

"Sorry Luka I'm just going to go catch up to Jeremy, we'll talk more about everything later, yeah?" Bonnie smiled apologetically, a knowing glance taking place between them. Was the electricity she felt between them to be blamed on the magic they shared, or something else? Bonnie pulled her white blazer back over her shoulders, anticipating the cold outside. Luka's eyes drifted over her as she did so, and then lifted to meet hers.

He shot her a warm, closed-mouth smile. "Don't even worry about it Bonnie. I'll see you at school tomorrow. We'll catch up there." His hands remained neatly folded on the table. His small smile then turned into a grin.

"For sure. Hopefully we'll have some classes together!" Bonnie couldn't help but grow excited at the idea, new guys always made her giddy. She then made her way towards the exit hurriedly, trying to avoid running into anyone she knew. Bonnie hated small talk; it always seemed to sneak up on her when she was in a rush. She truly hoped Jeremy had not left. In the back of her mind, she knew she had been talking to Luka for a great deal of time. In truth, she was simply scared, scared to spend more time with Jeremy. _Idiot, idiot, idiot_. With Jeremy she felt warmth, happiness, as if she was constantly bathed in his sunlight. Bonnie would have to deny herself of this however. She could never cross this type of line knowing there was a chance of hurting someone she had considered a sister for most of her life. She simply could not deal with the possibility of losing Elena again, especially so soon after they reconciled.

Bonnie swung open the heavy door of Mystic Grill and dashed out into the parking lot. Night had begun to fall, and twilight enveloped her. Splotches of orange and purple littered the far corners of the sky. Further ahead at the exit of Mystic Grill, Bonnie suddenly recognized the familiar silver SUV that Jeremy and Elena shared zooming out of the parking lot. Jeremy signaled and took a hard right, his tail-lights quickly disappearing behind the leafless trees that lined the property.

_Great_. Bonnie looked up towards the sky in defeat, sighing deeply. She then made her way to her 2000 black Honda Civic and entered the vehicle, carelessly throwing herself into the car and pulling the door closed behind her. Throwing her bag onto the passenger seat, she sat there placidly for a moment, and then strapped herself in and started up the engine. She was going to go after him. Bonnie allowed her head to fall against the steering wheel repeatedly. She couldn't leave Jeremy feeling abandoned by her. Not after their recent closeness. Not after he had seen her in such a vulnerable position, weakened after the spell she had cast in order to contact Elena. Bonnie sat upright and set her car into drive. Revving her engine, she backed out of her spot gently and headed full-speed ahead towards the Gilbert residence.

Within five minutes, Bonnie parked her car messily in front of Jeremy and Elena's house behind the silver SUV which Jeremy had parked in an equally unruly manner. She unbuckled her seatbelt unconsciously, examining the exterior of the house that was as familiar to as her own searching for clues of movement inside. Bonnie breathed deeply in an effort to calm herself, pulling her rearview mirror towards her, she inspected her appearance, fluffing her hair slightly and sloppily applying pink lip-gloss which she found abandoned in an unoccupied drink holder. Since when did she care if her lips were glossy enough for Jeremy? She did not like what was happening to her, this whole lack of control over her feelings thing was foreign to her. Fuck, whatever. She would give herself a therapy session after she spoke to Jeremy.

Bonnie exited the car and made her way towards the front door. Standing anxiously for a moment, she then compelled herself to ring the doorbell and knock. At first no sound could be heard, and then the unmistakable sound of footsteps reached Bonnie's ears. She masked her discomfort with a smile, already having prepared what to say.

The door swung open. At first a look of confusion washed over Jeremy's face, his naturally arched eyebrows furrowing. And then what appeared to be a pleased look (if Bonnie wasn't mistaken) replaced his previous expression.

"Hey." He spoke first, leaning against the door frame. His face held a look of slight annoyance.

"I told you I was bad!" Bonnie grinned stupidly. "Is that why you ran off?" Her grin faded and she mock pouted, protruding her bottom lip. Bonnie hoped she looked cute enough for him to consider forgiving her.

"Nah, you actually weren't half bad…for a girl. And I left because I didn't want to interrupt your conversation with 'Luka'." Jeremy's voice lifted approximately eight octaves when he spoke Luka's name, literally forming quotation marks with his fingers as he said it.

Eyeing a newspaper on the doormat, Bonnie plucked it from the floor and handed it to Jeremy; a peace offering of sorts.

"Aw Jer, I never meant to bail on you, and I wouldn't without _good reason_," Bonnie tilted her head towards Jeremy in an effort to refer to the supernatural, a topic which only a few core citizens of Mystic Falls knew about. Bonnie continued, "Especially when I was clearly kicking your ass FYI." Bonnie added, poking him in the chest. It was just an excuse to touch him.

Jeremy sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he elongated the word in defeat. "Come inside and tell me about it. And make me a sandwich while you're at it, woman." Jeremy stepped aside to allow Bonnie in, his perma-grin returning alongside his sad attempts at humor.

"Not happening!" Bonnie laughed and entered the warmth of the Gilbert household, shivering slightly at the quick change in temperature. Jeremy closed the front door, not bothering to lock it. Robbers were likely the least of his worries considering the amount of ravenous vampires that could come and go through his home as they pleased. She could sense Jeremy watching as she slipped out of her boots ungracefully. Looking up at him, she felt even more miniscule in his presence without her shoes on. Bonnie shot him a questioning look as Jeremy's lips stretched over his perfect white teeth. What on Earth was he smiling about now?

"You're like…a midget." Jeremy laughed; reaching out to Bonnie he patted her on the head. His anger had dispersed instantly.

"It's not about size; it's what you can do with it." Bonnie seductively winked and slid out of her blazer. Jeremy's eyes followed her motion, his eyes momentarily pausing on her chest and then returning to her face. She hated to admit it, but she loved when she caught him doing that. That one smoldering glance literally spoke volumes. It stood as a reminder that Bonnie was a woman, and that Jeremy was a man, and it most certainly referred to the very tangible sexual tension between them that could not be ignored. However, Bonnie was prepared to ignore it…a thousand times if she had to.


	3. Chapter 3: The Witching Hour

Disclaimer: I own nothing, aside perhaps for the right to ogle Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert on the Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Hello everybody! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the huge delay! Do not worry my sweets; I will never abandon this story! I am so thankful for all your lovely reviews, and now I need your help/advice! I intended on including a Christmas chapter followed by a New Years one, speaking of which I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Years! Here is my question to you lovely Beremy fans; would you all still like a holiday chapter? As for my huge delay, I've been sick on and off with what is likely pneumonia, so please forgive me! This chapter has a bunch of flirtation and I'm still deciding the direction which this story is going to go in but I have some ideas. Thank-you to all who reviewed and please continue to do so, I love you!

Summary: It's not the question of Jeremy's interest in her; it's the question of how long Bonnie can resist her interest in him. However, will newcomer Luka succeed in sidelining Jeremy? What exactly do these self-proclaimed warlocks have in store for our favourite witch? As romance finally blooms for Bonnie in Mystic Falls, so does danger.

THE WITCHING HOUR

"You're pretty much using that in the wrong context, Bon," Jeremy grinned shaking his head. He then motioned Bonnie to the staircase with his hand. They were going upstairs? This certainly spelt trouble. Bonnie promised herself that she would be on her best behavior. She would _not_ encourage herself or Jeremy in any way. She didn't even know if she should interpret the way Jeremy was acting as his being interested in her. Perhaps she was finally just getting to know him, and perhaps Jeremy flirted with anything that moved. It did sort of explain the rate at which he had dated Vicki and then Anna. Bonnie mused over this, and then realized that both Vicki and Anna had died during the time they were involved with Jeremy. She grimaced at the eeriness of it all.

Jeremy continued as Bonnie made way for the stairs. "It's actually a good thing you swung by, I've been doing some research on your whole fainting thing and I think I found something that might help," Jeremy stopped at the first step, clearing his throat; he shoved his hands into his pockets and began to eye the hardwood floor "I'm worried about you Bonnie."

At this, Bonnie whipped back around, staring at Jeremy in shock. Blood rushed to her face and her eyes began to sting with the possibility of tears. Her heart began to beat quickly. He had actually gone out of his way to help her? She wasn't used to being taken care of. She wasn't used to being worried about, especially by a man. After years of her father ignoring her existence, after years of searching for a man to take away her pain, she had simply given up. She learned to take care of herself, to pick herself up when she fell, and to basically _man_ up. Bonnie's bottom lip began to quiver. She didn't know how to react to this, or what to say. It had been so long since anyone aside from her Gram and her closest friends had done anything for her, or even cared about her really. Tears began to escape her eyes, and she hugged herself in embarrassment. Stupid hormones. Stupid time of the month. Bonnie sighed deeply in frustration as tears began to slide down her cheeks.

She didn't know how, but suddenly Jeremy's strong arms enveloped her. Caving, she allowed her head to fall on his chest and her arms to wrap around his waist. The sobs engulfed her then. Oh god, she was going to look like absolute shit after this. Why did she have to go and be all…_vulnerable_? The word disgusted her. She felt his hold on her tighten.

"Shhh." Jeremy whispered.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie managed to choke out. "I'm just not used to-to being worried about." she hiccupped, finally allowing herself to look at his face. His eyebrows were furrowed together in a both a mixture of concern and confusion. Bonnie felt the need to laugh. She wished Jeremy would make her laugh. He always made her laugh. This seriousness between them would only cause further complications.

Jeremy sighed, breaking the silence between them and allowed a small smile to find his lips. He cupped her face in his palms and forced her to look at him. His hands felt warm against her skin. "Look Bonnie, I'm not just gonna' stand by and watch you hurt yourself …even if it's for Elena." His hot breath fell against her lips and their eyes locked.

The air pulsed around them and all of her senses heightened instantly. His intoxicating scent struck her once more. Jeremy's eyes drifted down to her lips. If she didn't do something then, she thought he might kiss her. However, it was the fact that she wanted him to that scared her the most. Taking his hands in hers, she lowered them away from her face.

Bonnie spoke "Do you plan on telling them now?" Them being Elena, Damon, and Stefan.

Jeremy looked away from her for a moment in thought. He turned back to her. "No, but only if you let me help you." He held her eyes with his once more.

Breaking their gaze, Bonnie loosened her grasp on his hands at this and a look of worry washed over her face. She looked back at him. "Jeremy, I'm doing this no matter what." She would not budge.

"You can't do this alone. I'm not asking you to stop, because I know you won't. I just want to help you." Jeremy pleaded his case, giving her hands a squeeze.

"Fine…" Bonnie surrendered, throwing her head back in defeat.

Jeremy dropped her hands. Bonnie's head shot up at the lack of contact.

Jeremy was grinning at her, as usual. All was well once more. "You're a stubborn little _witch_ aren't you?" He cooed. Bonnie was sure he had intended on trading the 'w' in 'witch' for the 'b' that was arguably more appropriate in this circumstance.

"Wow Jeremy you're such a r_ude boy_, you clearly listen to that song a little _too_ much!" Bonnie referenced Rihanna's most recent song and stuck out her tongue playfully.

"For Halloween we should go as Rihanna and Chris Brown. I'll kinda have to give you a black eye though, just for the sake of accuracy of course." Jeremy smiled mischievously in her direction. Asshole!

"You _wish_ white boy!" Bonnie added a slow wink to accompany her remark, tossing her hair behind her shoulder.

Jeremy stared at her for a moment. What was he thinking? He then suddenly leaned in. Bonnie froze and shut her eyes tightly and scrunching her face as if she were in pain, thinking he was going to kiss her, she instead felt his hot breath by her ear. "Tsk tsk Bonnie, didn't you know? I'm black where it counts."

A deep blush began to rise on Bonnie's cheeks and her face felt hot. She then felt Jeremy's presence disappear from next to her, leaving Bonnie slightly chilly. This was confirmed when she pried open her eyes. She opened them not only to Jeremy's flawless face, but also to the huge obstacle that was their evident attraction to each other. He raised his eyebrows at her awaiting her usual cheeky retort.

Composing herself, she was all business once more, refusing to further their flirtation.

"So what is it that you wanted to show me?" Bonnie attempted to hold a serious expression on her face, hiding her actual desire to flirt and be playful with Jeremy.

"For that," he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around 180 degrees "you will have to join me upstairs. "Ladies first." He shoved her up the first step. As she climbed them, she hoped her ass didn't look enormous in her fitting jeans. Not that she knew he was looking for sure. Although a witch, she didn't exactly have eyes on the back of her head like Professor Quirrell did from the Harry Potter movies, Voldemort's beady eyes and creepy face stuck to the back of his head. Ew.

Reaching the top of the steps, Bonnie and Jeremy turned right and proceeded down the hallway past Elena's room, the only room Bonnie ever thought she'd ever go into in this house. Reaching the front of his bedroom door, Bonnie momentarily paused before reaching to open it, feeling slightly forbidden from entering. Jeremy was faster though, pushing it open from behind her. Ignoring her urge to nervously chuckle, Bonnie swiftly walked in and began to observe her surroundings.

Jeremy's light green walls were littered with various sketches. Upon further examination, Bonnie recognized the numerous drawings of wolves that Jeremy had shown to Tyler in order to encourage him to reveal the secret he was hiding, about him being a werewolf. Sometimes Elena, Damon, and Stefan ignored how much of an asset Jeremy truly was to their group. Spotting a drawing of Jeremy's family, Bonnie smiled to herself thoughtfully. They were beautiful. She hopped to have a family like theirs one day. She remembered always envying Elena and Jeremy for their perfect household.

Jeremy swooped past Bonnie and hurled himself onto his unmade bed, his black comforter half on the ground, the ground covered mostly in discarded boxers of numerous colors; enough of them to fully satisfy Bonnie's imagination for weeks to come. NO. Shaking her head to herself she averted her eyes quickly and looked back to Jeremy. He reached for an old cigar box from the shelves built into his mahogany head board, his toned arms flexing with exertion. It was hard not to ogle him. Bonnie joined Jeremy, perching herself on the edge of his bed at a polite distance. He looked up at her for a quick moment acknowledging her presence and then looked back to his cigar box, probably an old one from his druggie days. Jeremy slid the lid off, Bonnie's eye caught sight of what appeared to be a herb of some sort, accompanied by various tubes filled with what she presumed was a liquidized version of it.

Peering into the box, Bonnie yelped. "WEED? Really Jeremy?" She fixed her eyes strongly on his, preparing herself to lecture him for the next hour on the illegality of marijuana and the reasons for it. However, to Bonnie's dismay, Jeremy definitely pulled off the stoned look extremely well. Bonnie was a sucker for the bad boy.

Jeremy's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Ouch Bonnie, it's nice to know you have so much faith in me." Jeremy put his hand to his heart as if it hurt due to her disapproval.

Bonnie reached for one of the tubes and held it up to the lamp sitting on his bed side table and began to examine the green liquid flowing within it. "Have you secretly been attending Hogwarts all these years Jeremy?" Bonnie teased him.

"Only in my dreams, Bon. And if you were wondering, I'd be Hagrid. I'm kinda used to being the _biggest_ guy around." Jeremy smiled evilly, raising his eyebrows repeatedly at her. Enough with the referencing to your penis Jeremy!

He really knew how to get a girl going, apparently. Bonnie blinked stupidly for a moment as her thoughts disappeared into Jeremy's pants. Instantly she caught herself. "_Anyways_," she hoped the word emphasized her awkwardness "why does this smell like…my moisturizer?" Bonnie questioned, waving the tube under her nose.

"Well technically this herb can be found in it," Jeremy stretched his well defined arms behind his head and leaned onto the pillows behind him. After an exhausting day, his bed looked quite inviting. "It's witch hazel." Jeremy revealed at last, nonchalantly cracking his neck, first to the left and then the right.

"What does it do?" Bonnie leaned in closer, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Now that is a question that I have prepared thoroughly researched answers for." Reaching over to his bedside table, Jeremy plucked up a folder with her name _Bonnie_ scribbled across it in messy yet at the same time neat, boyish writing. Allowing herself to genuinely smile at him, she took the folder from him and began to examine its contents.

Within the folder were various loose papers and handwritten notes, and they appeared to be original. Bonnie genuinely wondered how Jeremy managed to get his hands on these but instead of asking, she began to read. She examined the first of the three documents. It was an excerpt from a book detailing the unknown happenings during the Salem Witch Trials back in Massachusetts during 1692 and 1693. The document provided a brief description of the village of Salem. The town was strictly Calvinist; Calvinism being a reformed branch of Protestant Christianity was developed by John Calvin in 1534. Christmas and Easter, two holidays widely celebrated in modern times were forbidden in Salem due to their pagan ties. Folk music was discouraged due to its general appreciation of love and nature, two concepts that were essentially frowned upon by God. For children, any sort of toy or doll with the purpose of play was banned, and as for education they adhered only to the bible for learning. According to Bonnie, it wasn't a surprise that rumors of witchcraft began to emerge. However, Grams pressed on that all of what occurred in Salem was not simply hearsay.

Upon being assigned a project on the Salem Witch Trials for American History in the tenth grade, Grams had informed Bonnie that she and her whole family descended from a woman named Tituba, a major player during the trials. Working as Samuel Parris' slave, Tituba supposedly befriended his daughter Betty and her best friend, Abigail Williams.

_Salem, Massachusetts, 1692_

He is rapin' the Williams child again. The thought makes my stomach lurch and I wish him dead. I can hear the muffled sobs from my quarters and I can hear 'em as I scrub the filth from about the floors. It is a wonder that Betty runs the hallways mindless to this. I see her now chasin' her brothers past the room in which the sin occurs. Such blasphemy he is committing, the man named Samuel Parris. I must save them. God be with me. I know it is not part of our way, but it would be sacrilege to let this sinnin' continue.

We have been blessed, my family. They were torn from me so long ago, they were. My dark skin reminds me of the blarin' sun. It reminds me of my father. It is all I have left of him. My skin and my memories. He would dance for the rain, and it would come. When mother died, he cried for her, but he pitied her not. She is safe, he would tell me. She is for she is with _Her_.

We harness a strength that none other does, both my father and I. I can start fire with my mind. I can see the past. I can see the future. I can feel Mother Nature breathing around me. She lives in me. I can use her; I can use her for my biddin'. She lets me. And so I will kill Samuel Parris. And I will save Abigail.

I began by offering the two children sugarcane that I had rationed over the weeks. We were fast friends soon enough. I told them of my life away from Salem. I told them of the sunlit ocean pulled by strings from the moon and of Bastian. Bastian was my other half. He was mine and I was his. We would watch the stars move across the sky. The tide would caress our calves and we would sing of Her and alight the sand that we lay in. Bastian was gone now. Betty and Abigail would come to me each night and for them I would sing. They knew not what I said, but they listened anyway. One day, Abigail came alone. It was my doing. Betty had felt ill and chose to rest that night. A simple headache spell. Utterly harmless it was. I stood by the window and awaited her. The wind was cool and it blew my wild hair about my black face.

I sensed the child enter. I spoke low. "Why do you let mister Parris force himself on you Abigail?" I turned and examined her small frame, blue eyes swimming with fear and blonde hair messed about.

Abigail opened her mouth to speak but spoke not.

"Tell your Tituba." I pressed onwards, grabbing her shoulders. I knew bruises were hidden beneath her white frock.

"I cannot tell him no 'Uba," she called me by my pet name as she smoothed the pleats in her skirt "it hurts, but I cannot tell him no. The Lord knows I've tried." At this she fell to her knees and broke into sobs.

I crouched down to her and peered into her eyes. She observed my face politely. I reached into the deep pockets of my worn skirt, littered with soot and so far from the pristine white it used to be so long ago.

"Take this," I handed her a thin silver ring "wear it, and it will protect you."

I placed the ring into her small palm and closed it. "Now, be on your way. Your mother must be sick with worry." I ushered her out the door in which she came, and watched as she ran down the hallway, beams of sunlight kissing her hair as she went.

That night, I was called to tend to Samuel's nighttime rituals. I hurried along towards his room, with me his nightgown and a warm glass of fresh milk. Hushed voices reached my ears. Hesitantly, I drew closer. The heavy wooden doors were left slightly ajar, as I peered in, my eyes met with Samuel Parris' form kneeling before a dead pig. His wavy brown hair was sweated to his forehead and his undershirt and trousers were doused heavily in blood. I silently gasped. He sat in a circle of pig's blood, the knife which he used to slaughter the beast visibly reflected in the flickering candlelight.

"What do you offer us?" A trio of voices spoke. The difference between each voice was audible.

It was then I noticed Samuel's bleeding wrists, jaggedly slit in numerous horizontal cuts.

"My soul." he whispered, starring into the nothingness.

"What shall you ask in return Samuel Parris?" the voices hissed lowly, three sets of chuckles erupting from them as they awaited his answer.

"Endless wealth." He croaked, suddenly reaching for the knife. Once in his hand, he plunged the knife into the dead thing. He messily cut about its chest, and began to pry at the pig's heart. Blood spewed from its corpse, and with one swift pull, Samuel secured the heart, fresh with blood within his hands.

The voices spoke separately.

"It is done." The higher voice whispered.

"It is done." A lower voice hissed.

"It is done." The lowest voice confirmed.

Tears fell from my eyes. My hands trembled as I bent to place his milk and nightgown on the floor, my arms covered in gooseflesh. Shaking I began to turn away from the door. I stopped in my tracks. Standing before me was Samuel Parris' youngest brother, Tom. Thomas Parris was highly sought after, a bachelor and believed to be the most handsome man in all of Salem, and it could not be ignored, he was handsome. However, the bastard was rotten right through to his core. Aside from being part of the affluent Parris family, Tom was in charge of the prosecution team handlin' the cases of witchcraft in Salem. No one had been the wiser to me as of yet. I prayed each night for my secret to be kept. I curtsied instantaneously.

"Master Parris." I bowed deeply, the shock still fresh beneath my still face.

"Now tell me Tituba," Tom began, the candlelight that poured out from Samuel's room pulsing in his green eyes, "what exactly did you just see?" He stepped further out of the darkness. His boots shone and his glossy brown hair fell into his piercing eyes.

"I saw nothing Master." My voice cracked. I stood from my curtsey and looked only to the dark wooden floors. They needed to be cleaned again.

"Tituba, I never took you for a liar," I felt his warm palm caress my cheek, I looked up and my eyes met his "my, my, such a pretty face," He licked his pink lips delicately, his eyes scanning me from top to bottom.

I said nothing.

A this, he grabbed the back of my hair and tilted my head back. "For a Negro." he whispered wetly into my ear.

My breath quickened and my heart began to thump wildly. Tom pulled on my hair harder and I let out a quiet gasp. Slowly I felt myself being pulled further away from the light and into the darkness. No.

"Don't bother attempting to scream. I know exactly what you are," He grabbed my wrists roughly and threw me against the wall, the painting beside me swung from left to right "and if you do not do as I say, I will make sure you're burned at the stake alongside with the lively Abigail Williams." His words were coated with disgust.

I closed my eyes tightly. I could not let Abigail die. Not after all that had happened to her. My bottom lip quivered and I opened my eyes once more to Tom's lovely face. I would kill him soon too. Angry tears escaped the corners of my eyes. Bastian.

"And what must I do Mas-st-st-er?" I stuttered.

"You simply must shut up and enjoy the ride." He spat, and began to hike up my filthy skirts. Pressing me harder against the rough wall, I could feel him against my leg. He snatched my hand and placed it against his trousers. All I could see was Bastian's beautiful laughing face. Tom chuckled lowly and threw my hand to the side and began to unzip himself. He lifted me from the ground and wrapped my legs around him. I bit my lip in pain as I felt him violently plunge inside of me. It was in that moment after so long that I could feel Bastian's hand grasped in mine and the sea kissing our bare feet. I let out a sob. Tom thrust into me, harder and faster each time and at last he buckled, grunting in satisfaction. He took a moment to catch his breath and suddenly I felt myself drop to the floor. With a huge thud, I hit the ground, my skirts falling around me. Tom began zipping up his trousers and tucking his white shirt back into them.

He attached his suspenders. "Filthy whore." Tom crouched down and stared into my eyes. He grabbed the back of my head and pushed my face to his. His lips crushed mine for but a moment and then I felt nothing.

Tom stood to his full height. "Your secret is safe with me." He adjusted his shirt once more and turned his heel back down the hallway. I am not sure how long I sat there. For all I know is I could feel Bastian again. And that is what mattered most.

Bonnie awoke with a start to Jeremy's voice. Her vision cleared and sound reached her ears once more. It felt as if she had been underwater and finally reached the surface. She gasped, choking on the air she breathed in.

"BONNIE!" Bonnie felt Jeremy's hands grasped around her arms shaking her.

"Jer," Bonnie whispered, looking around in bewilderment.

"Jesus, Bonnie," Jeremy pulled her to him "what the fuck happened?" He ran his hands through her hair. He pulled her back and examined her face diligently. Bonnie smiled sweetly at Jeremy, thankful to see his beautiful face again.

"I don't know," Bonnie spoke slowly; still foggy from her vision "she showed me something, a woman, another witch from Salem." she began to rub her throbbing head.

"Well thank-god you're okay, you were staring at me for about twenty minutes Bonnie!" Jeremy spoke wildly, caressing her arms lightly. Bonnie glanced at this and then looked up to Jeremy's face. Her eyes then fell to his lips. And for a moment, she didn't care what Elena thought.

Bonnie reached up to Jeremy's face and placed her palm on his soft cheek. A look of surprise washed over his face momentarily, and then he lifted his hand and placed it on hers. For what felt the longest time, they simply stared into each other's warm eyes.

"Thank-you" Bonnie whispered and smiled as she leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Jeremy's welcoming lips.


	4. Chapter 4: The Connection

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue!

A/N: Located at end of chapter.

CHAPTER 4: THE CONNECTION

The springs in Jeremy's mattress creaked under their weight as Jeremy pulled Bonnie closer to him. She felt him wrap his strong arms tightly around her waist, he pulled back for a moment, his smoldering brown eyes searching hers and without hesitation he leaned in once more and initiated a kiss far more passionate than their first had been. Bonnie's heartbeat increased to a rate that was likely nearing a heart attack and her skin had suddenly burst into flames. She tangled her fingers into Jeremy's thick, untamed hair and soon all the feelings she had been suppressing for him sprung forth. Alongside the sheer desire she felt for Jeremy, for his company, his approval, his laughter, the way his eyes always spelt out exactly how he felt about anything, and the worry he felt for her when no one else did; Bonnie also felt panic as thoughts of Elena and what would likely be feelings of hurt and discomfort at any sort of relationship between Bonnie and Jeremy other than a strictly platonic one. Jeremy had enough reasons to be involved in the supernatural happenings of Mystic Falls than he needed. Bonnie would not be another person that Jeremy would blindly sacrifice himself for if the situation called for it. She would never be able to live with that. Jeremy sighed against Bonnie's lips and began to ease her down onto the mattress. Still in thought, Bonnie allowed him to, yet realization struck and the panic began to rise in her throat. Jeremy had planted his forearms on either side of Bonnie, and held himself just close enough for her to feel his chest against hers. The silver chain dangling from his neck felt warm against her skin. God, she was weak.

As Jeremy hovered over her, his eyes roamed her face in disbelief.

"How are you allowed to be so beautiful?" Bonnie felt his thumb stroke her cheek as he spoke.

Bonnie had to get away from Jeremy's gentle touch. As she starred at the sheer perfection of his face, his full pink lips, his dark eyes, at the boy she had known her entire life but at the same time hadn't known at all, she knew just what she was giving up and for whom. Bonnie would be keeping her and Elena's friendship, and she would also be protecting Jeremy this way. If anyone targeted her, Elijah or Klaus or whoever else came their way, she would not give them a reason to target Jeremy too. How would Elena ever forgive her if Jeremy got hurt or killed trying to protect Bonnie? She doubted that even Elena could overcome that sort of loss, after already having lost her parents.

"Jeremy, what are you doing?" Bonnie commenced the sequence of her lie. She hated lying to him. She hated lying to the one person she could be honest with.

Jeremy rose one of his naturally arched eyebrows. "Well Bonnie, I'm preparing myself to continue making out with you. Like we have been for the past um," he paused to glance at the watch on his left hand "three minutes." he winked at her seductively.

"Oh God," Bonnie allowed a look of shock to wash over her face. She was an excellent actor, she'd even been told so. She placed her hand on Jeremy's chest and gently pushed him away. "I'm so sorry Jeremy; I was still kind of loopy from my vision. That shouldn't have happened."

She felt compelled to look away, but her eyes were unable to resist darting back to Jeremy's face to see his reaction. Jeremy tensed his jaw as he nodded his head slightly. He did not look at her. Bonnie felt the urge to spit it out and tell him she was crazy for trying to lie to him, for trying to avoid her feelings for him any longer. She wanted to feel his warm lips against hers once more. Instead, she simply patted his arm in a friendly way. He looked up at her, and in that moment the hurt and anger in Jeremy's eyes was unmistakable.

His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Be honest Bonnie, is this because you don't have feelings for me or is this because I'm Elena's_ little brother_?" Jeremy mocked her and it was clear that to some degree, he could see through her lie. If he knew her reasons, maybe he would have understood more. But he couldn't know, wouldn't.

Bonnie sat silently, unable to muster the ability to string together a sentence that wouldn't hurt him further.

Jeremy took her silence as confirmation for what was either one of his suspicions or both. In one fluid movement he was off the bed and heading towards his bedroom door. As Bonnie watched his retreating back, her mouth was left agape as Jeremy effortlessly pulled his deep grey v-neck off and tossed it onto the hardwood floor.

"I'm gonna have a shower, so you should probably go." As he reached for the doorknob, the muscles of his smooth back jumped around as he whipped the door open. He turned to her, giving her a view of his solid chest, what were basically washboard abs, and a thin line of hair that started just below his navel bordered by two prominent lines that led into his fitting jeans. All that was under there, of course it was. Why would he be easy to resist? Jeremy stepped to the side to allow her to leave, and Bonnie was certain she detected a sense of smugness behind his angry façade that dared her to walk away.

Bonnie averted her eyes and began to quickly toss her things into her bag, also grabbing the files and witch hazel that Jeremy had gathered for her. She'd look over the files at home and try to understand the purpose of her vision and also the properties of witch hazel. She zipped her bag closed and climbed off the bed awkwardly, her eyes glued to the floor until she reached Jeremy's stoic figure. She craned her neck upwards to look at him, and allowed a genuine smile to appear on her face even though his expression suggested that any effort to repair things was not welcomed. She wouldn't bother trying.

"I," Bonnie cleared her throat "I've really appreciated your help through all this Jeremy. And you're the only person that I've felt I can trust with what's actually going on with me. So I guess, I'll go through your research" she motioned to her bag "and I'll let you know what I find." No reaction came, so she headed through the door.

Having forgotten her manners, Bonnie turned around quickly and blurted, "Thanks for having me by the way!"

Jeremy looked past her and shot a curt nod in her direction before slamming the door in her face. Bonnie found herself starring at the white door in front of her wondering what she had done to deserve her being in such an impossible situation. She grazed the handrail with her fingers as she descended down the stairs; her ears perking at what sounded like Lithium by Nirvana blaring from Jeremy's room. He clearly hated her now. Bonnie slid on her boots and shut the door behind her softly, Jeremy's music muffled behind the mahogany door. Sighing, she headed towards her car. Setting her things onto the passenger seat, Bonnie unzipped her bag, laughing mischievously to herself as she unearthed a pair of Jeremy's plaid boxers and hugged them to her chest.

"Dad?" Bonnie called into her house as she struggled to get the keys out of the lock of her door while carrying her bag and attempting to balance three text books at the same time. Out of town as usual Bonnie happily concluded. Bonnie's father, although situated in Mystic Falls, worked as a criminal prosecutor in Jamestown, Virginia. Originally, her father James Bennett had worked for the courts of Mystic Falls handling mostly petty theft, since before Stefan and Damon Salvatore had arrived the worst crimes her father and the one other lawyer in town had to deal with was shoplifting. Her father had been offered a job at the Court of Appeals before all the mysterious deaths began in Mystic Falls. Kicking the door closed, Bonnie plopped everything she was carrying right onto the floor in front of her and was about to head towards her room to change into more comfortable clothes, when a thought popped into her head. Dropping her jeans right there, she stepped out of them and slid easily into Jeremy's green plaid boxers. She decided that had never felt more comfortable in her life and then headed to the kitchen to make herself some tea. As Bonnie waited for the water in the kettle to heat up, she thought back to the kiss she had shared with Jeremy barely twenty minutes ago. Bonnie absentmindedly let her fingers drift to her lips and began to smile dumbly. She had it bad, she had it real bad. Bonnie snapped out of her trance once she heard the kettle ding, indicating that her water was boiled. Searching through the cabinet that she had solely dedicated to tea, Bonnie selected her favourite _chamomile_ and placed a teabag into the deep mug she had selected and let it brew as she gathered her thoughts regarding her vision, although all she was really trying to do was keep her thoughts away from Jeremy.

In her vision, Bonnie had watched as the slave known as Tituba witnessed what she presumed was some sort of deal with the devil, made by a man named Samuel Paris. Tituba was then threatened by Samuel's brother, Tom and subsequently raped by him also. Her heart ached for Tituba and the woman's longing for her lost love Bastian. Bonnie hoped they had found their way back to each other. Securing her mug of tea, she grabbed the information Jeremy had gathered and spread it out in front of her on the kitchen table. As she starred at the stack of papers in front of her, Bonnie simply could not believe the effort that Jeremy must have gone to in finding everything. First she scanned through the handwritten notes Jeremy had made regarding the healing properties of witch hazel. He hadn't had the chance to explain to her in person due to her vision.

- Witch hazel (Hamamelis) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America (H. Ovalis, H. Virginianaand H. Vernalis).

Jeremy had underlined the second species of the flower, H. Virginiana. It was likely the type he had secured for her and there was a good chance that it was grown in their home state. So Jeremy was not only insanely attractive, but also intelligent and extremely intuitive. And his writing was so boyishly messy. He was getting harder and harder to resist.

- In John Gilbert's journal, he wrote that witch hazel had been given its name due to the healing properties it instilled in those who possessed magical abilities

- He wrote that it works best when boiled and then drank as tea

- The nutrients and other healing properties can be accessed the best this way

With that, Bonnie reached over to Jeremy's cigar box as she eyed her steaming mug of tea. Sliding it open, she plucked up a piece of witch hazel and submerged it in the warm liquid. She hoped the witch hazel didn't taste too bitter. But with her first sip, she found it was sweet in an appealing way. She set her mug down and continued flipping through the information when she came to a beautiful drawing Jeremy had made of a bundle of witch hazel. The detail and likeness of his drawing left Bonnie awestruck. He made everything he drew beautiful, and she secretly hoped that one day Jeremy would draw her. If Bonnie ever tried to draw Jeremy though, she doubted that she could ever capture how she saw him through her eyes. How perfect he was to her.

Bonnie shook her head and discarded her thoughts. Next she went through the research Jeremy had did on the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. Her gram had told her that Bonnie and her family were related to Tituba, the Paris household's slave somewhere down the line. Jeremy must have remembered her having mentioned that since the second piece of research she found regarding Tituba was a family tree listing her descendants. She went on to marry a man named Gabriel Levy and have three children with him. However, to the left of her children with Gabriel was another child, a daughter named Abigail Levy whose father was listed as John Doe. The name triggered something in Bonnie's memory. Yes, Tituba had spoken about Abigail Williams, the child who was being raped by Samuel Paris, but the name Abigail Levy was one she had most certainly seen somewhere. Suddenly, it dawned upon Bonnie. She was up and running into the den of her home where her mother's family tree hung on the wall, framed in black. She switched on the lights and her eyes traveled directly to the top where the name Abigail Levy-Stone stood next to that of her husband, Robert Stanley Stone, and further down the tree, her mother's name, Evelyn Rhodes and her father James Bennet, and a thin line connecting them to her, Bonnie Bennett. So Bonnie was a descendant of Tituba and the daughter she had with an unknown man. The gears in her brain continued to operate and a flash of Tom Paris' handsome face entered her mind. Realization struck her, and slowly Bonnie raised hand to her mouth in shock. Thomas Paris had impregnated Tituba when he raped her, and so Abigail Levy was born, likely named after the golden haired Abigail Williams who Samuel Paris had raped over and over again. Tituba had wanted Bonnie to become aware of her connection to the Paris family…but why? She intended to find out.

Bonnie reached for her cell phone that she had left on the table nearest to the front door and began to scroll through her contacts until she reached the person she intended on calling. Holding the phone to her ear, the person answered just after the first ring.

"Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie, and to what do I owe the pleasure?" Damon Salvatore sing-songed on the other end of the phone.

"Damon…" Bonnie hesitated a moment before she continued. "I need your help."

A/N: What exactly does Bonnie need Damon's help for? What will Jeremy think of Bonnie going to Damon instead of him? What is the significance of Bonnie's relation to Thomas Paris and the Paris family, and is it connected to Klaus somehow? Find out in the next chapter of 'The Darkness'! I would also like to thank each and every one of you that reviewed this story while I was on my four month long hiatus, which by the way I deeply apologize for! I lost inspiration for a while, but it's your reviews that brought me back. Thank-you so much and please review, and perhaps if I get enough, you'll eventually get to see Jeremy Gilbert naked ;) !


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